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The Country Gentleman's Magazine 



as in almost every department of busmess, 

 has cut down profits to such an extent that 

 the prices charged by respectable merchants 

 for the best qualities of seeds are not more 

 than allow of a very moderate per-centage ; 

 and, therefore, when we find what professes 

 to be the same article offered at a much 

 lower rate than that at which it is quoted by 

 seedsmen, in whom there is reason to believe 

 confidence may be placed, we may consider 

 there is not merely room for suspicion, but an 

 absolute certainty that the article is not 

 genuine; so that its seeming cheapness, instead 

 of being a temptation to purchase, should 

 rather teach us to avoid it. There cannot be a 

 greater instance of mistaken economy than that 

 of buying cheap seeds, which maybe aptly il- 

 lustrated by supposing that seed can be pur- 

 chased one penny or twopence per pound 

 cheaper from one seedsman than another, say 

 red clover at 8d. and lod. per lb. Now, if 90 

 per cent, of the lod. per lb. seed grows, and 

 only from 40 to 50 or even 60 per cent, of the 

 8d. per lb. seed, the purchaser is a great loser 

 by the seeming cheapness of the one lot as 

 compared with the other. 



There is another point that has been 

 urged, viz. that Parliament should pass a mea- 

 sure making any one guilty of such frauds as 

 the adulteration of agricultural seeds, liable to 

 punishment as a criminal, as in the case of 

 France and other countries. In a leading 

 article which recently appeared in The Farmer, 

 the writer entered somewhatmore fullyinto this 

 part of the subject, from which we make the 

 following extract — 



' ' In this free conntiy we are so very free that even 

 swindling is protected ; at least, there are certain forms 

 in which it is manifested where the law appears to be 

 powerless. ' They manage things better in France,' 

 and the adoption of French law in this respect would 

 prove of material advantage to the community. To 

 adulterate in France is, in most instances, to run the 

 risk of being ruined for life. Why should we not 

 have inspectors of seeds, manures, and other goods, as 

 well as of weights and measures, so that the interests 

 of consumers might be protected, and men who would 

 otherwise be honest not forced to swindle, as at pre- 

 sent in not a few instances, or abandon their business. 

 I>et those who are detected adulterating their goods, 

 whatever they may consi'^t of, be subjected to fine and 

 imprisonment, and their names published ; and adul- 



teration would soon be found to have received 'a 

 heavy blow and great discouragement.' The expense 

 of inspection would be amply repaid by the increased 

 safety and comfort to consumers arising from purity, 

 by cessation of trade in spurious articles, and by di- 

 verting the labour into honest channels of a perfect 

 host of men, women, and children, who are at present 

 doing nothing else but plying a nefarious calling of 

 adulteration in one thing or other." 



The Legislature should be called upon to 

 interfere in order that adulteration, in every 

 shape and form, should be guarded against 

 in the strictest manner, and punished severely 

 when detected. 



There is just one point more to which 

 we shall allude, as connected with the 

 germiiiating power of seeds. It is quite 

 possible that seeds may stand the pre- 

 liminary test in a perfectly satisfactory 

 manner, and yet that the result in the open 

 field may not be equally satisfactory. Setting 

 aside an abnormal condition of the soil un- 

 favourable to the healthy production of plants, 

 as for instance where the soil is " clover-sick," 

 there may be occasionally a deficiency in the 

 number of plants grown, which may lead to 

 the supposition that there has been something 

 wrong with the seed. Now, we need scarcely 

 say that even a very little difference in the 

 manner in which the seed has been covered 

 will affect its germinating power to a consider- 

 able extent. The soil of even one field may 

 not be of the same nature throughout, and in 

 some parts the seeds may be much more 

 easily covered to a greater depth than is con- 

 sistent with successful germination than is the 

 case in other parts of the field ; and it has 

 been proved that even a quarter of an inch 

 of additional cover prevents a considerable 

 per-centage of certain seeds from germinating. 

 We merely mention this point, because it is 

 sometimes apt to be overlooked, and wewould 

 therefore strongly advise every purchaser of 

 seeds to satisfy himself beforehand of the 

 germinating powers of the seeds with which 

 he may have been supplied, by adopting the 

 test used by seedsmen for that purpose. 

 Should the seeds stand that test, then in the 

 case of any failure in the field he may rest 

 satisfied that it has been owing to some other 

 cause than a lack of vitality. 



